Water

2.1. Water and recreation

Aim: The session focuses on solutions that concern the use of water for recreational purposes. These include leisure boating, guidance work, tourism, use of rivers and the sea. The solutions address the role and responsibility of individuals, communities and companies, recreational values and environmental ethics.

Facilitator: Sauli Rouhinen, Environmental Counselor, Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
Rapporteur: Anne Ahtiainen, Leading Energy Expert, Valonia-Service Center for Sustainable Development and Energy of South-West Finland, Finland

Leisure boating in the Baltic Sea

The presentation introduces tools and solutions that minimize the negative environmental impacts of leisure boating.
Esko Sorakunnas, Secretary General, Keep archipelago tidy, Finland

Effectiveness in Guidance Work

Wide-ranging Partner Approach is solution that has been found effective in dissemination of waste water management information in sparsely populated areas. The guidance situation benefits from broad representation of different partners. 
Jussi Heikkinen, MINWA -project Co-ordinator, Valonia, Finland

Maritime planning and management of the Nordic marine environment

Uses of the marine ecosystem and its resources are intensifying rapidly. It has however been said that ‘planning’ in the marine environment today resembles terrestrial planning in the 1970s (UNESCO 2006). Practical tools are urgently needed for specific uses, such as allocation of new energy forms (Ciaccia et al. 2010). Marine spatial planning requires fundamental understanding of ecosystem functioning and present and future pressures on the sea. Present MSP mainly takes place at a local, e.g. municipal level. Basin wide planning, which also requires international co-operation is necessary to secure the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment.
Markku Viitasalo, Professor, Finnish Environment Institute

The tourist's search for loneliness in the nature

Most of the guests wish to experience tranquillity and some time on their own.
In the beginning, the idea to take the customer to areas that didn’t need much guidance because of the nature experience, felt easy. After experiencing different reactions on tranquillity and loneliness the opinion has changed. Every experience is personal and different and every customer has different back ground, comprehension and understanding.
Jann H. Engstad, Guide, Lofoten Kajakk/ Lofoten Aktiv AS, Norway

Renewal of villages using landscape as a resource

Morsø Kommune is trying to think of new ways to integrate planning of rural areas with recreational use of the water and nature resources.
The effort to improve the environment has locally resolved in a series of projects; reestablishing and creating wetlands and green corridors through the agricultural landscape.
Some of the small villages in the fringe area are affected by the tendency to move towards the cities. As a result the villages are degrading in standard and suffer from a decrease in activities. To change this development Morsø Kommune has taken initiative to start area renewal in some of the small villages, which have potentials regarding settlement and tourism.
Ann-Sophie Øberg, Urban Designer, Morsø, Denmark

Summary of parallel session 2.1 Water and recreation

Presentations:

Esko Sorakunnas: Leisure boating in the Baltic Sea

The presentation introduced tools and solutions that minimize the negative environmental impacts of leisure boating.

Jussi Heikkinen: Effectiveness in Guidance Work

The presentation shared a wide-ranging Partner Approach as an effective solution in dissemination of waste water management information in sparsely populated areas that is strengthened by broad representation of different partners. 

Markku Viitasalo: Maritime planning and management of the Nordic marine environment

The presentation was focused on practical tools needed for specific uses, such as allocation of new energy forms and the need of international co-operation in the framework of basin wide planning to secure the conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment.

Jann H. Engstad: The tourist's search for loneliness in the nature

The presentation was devoted to the need of some tourists in tranquillity and loneliness and their experience of being on their own.

Ann-Sophie Øberg: Renewal of villages using landscape as a resource

The presentation informed about new ways of Morsø Kommune to integrate planning of rural areas with recreational use of the water and nature resources, the efforts to improve the local environment such as reestablishing and creating wetlands and green corridors through the agricultural landscape.
and a renewal in some of the small villages, which have potentials regarding settlement and tourism.